Ironing machine



Feb. 16,1943. M, PATCH 2,311,569

momma MACHINE Filed Nov. 29, 19ss 1 s Sheets-Sheet '1 W l" '1 pJ/S "A IINVENTOR.

Feb. 16; 1943. A. J. PATCH IRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 29,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Arnie/v5? 'Feb. 16, 1943. A. J. PATCH I IRONING MACH-NE Filed Nov. 29,1958 3 Sheets-Sheet s a I I INVENTOR. 4A Z7922 Jfijc z,

Patented Feb. 16, 194-3 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFHCE IRONING liIACHINEAllen J. Patch, Ripon, Wis.

Application November 29, 1938, Serial No. 243,014

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ironing machines, and pertainsmore particularly to a machine of this character constructed fordomestic use and intended and adapted to be capable of use for ironing,pressing and steaming garments and other articles, fabrics, and in factsubstantially any and all articles or items of materials that mayrequire or may be desired to be ironed, pressed, steamed or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide an ironing machine of the rolland shoe type having a support for the roll and roll driving mechanism,and a support for the shoe, with means for mounting and moving said rolland driving mechanism as a unit to move the roll into operative positionwith respect to the shoe.

Another object is to provide an ironing machine having operator actuatedmeans, such as a treadle, a knee operated lever, or other manuallyactuatable means, for causing relative movement of the ironing elements,which manually actuatable means is so constructed and mounted andassociated with the other parts that a minimum exertion of physicalforce is required to accomplish a full operative pressure between themachine parts and separation of the elements is accomplishedsubstantially automatically by withdrawal or removal of the manualactuating force.

Still another object i to provide novel manually actuatable mean foreffecting this relative movement of the ironer elements which is soconstructed that the elements will be quickly adanced to a proximateposition by the initial application of manual force, and then the majormovement of the manually actuatable means is available for accomplishingand creating progressive pressure between the ironer elements toaccomplish the desired ironing or pressing force upon the articles oritems being operated-upon by the use of the machine.

Still another purpose is to so construct and mount and associate theironing element portions, and the operating and control means therefore,that separation of the roll and shoe is effected automaticallyimmediately the manual actuating force is withdrawn or removed, thusobviating the possibility and danger of the roll and shoe being left orremaining unintentionally in contact or engagement A further object isto provide a machine of thi character having roll operating meanstogether with means for disconnecting and releasing the roll operatingmeans whereby the roll may be freely turned and rotated by hand when forpressing and other operations.

Still a further object lies in the provision of a support for the shoeyieldably movable in predetermined relation and in relation to the rollwhen in contact with the shoe, so that variations in the thickness ofarticles or material passing between the roll and the shoe may beaccommodated both as such variations may occur circumferentially aroundthe roll and longitudinally of the roll.

Another object is to so mount the shoe that it can be readily andconveniently and expeditiously moved and adjusted, when not in operativerelation with respect to the roll, to a position to expose the facethereof for waxing or cleaning, or for use of the shoe in steaming andin other operations.

Still another purpose of my present invention is to provide an ironingmachine of this type which is easy and convenient to operate, whichrequires a minimum of electric current for operation when in use, andwhich is of simple and inexpensive and yet durable construction, so thatwhile it is adaptable and adequate to meet all requirements for ironing,pressing, steaming and like operations as ordinarily performed in thehome, it may be manufactured and sold at relatively low cost to thusmeet domestic requirements.

With the above and other objects in view,

, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this inventionincludes certain novel features of construction and combinations andarrangements and association of parts which will be hereinafter setforth in connection with the drawings and then pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ironing machine embodying thefeatures of the invention Fig. 2 is a fragmentary partial verticalsection taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and showing the roll and shoeseparated.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 1 but showing the roll and shoe in cooperative relation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken on the line4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 i a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig.5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig.3.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary partial vertical section taken on the line 88 ofFigure 1.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line Ifl-lfl ofFig. 8.

To drive the roll a motor is mounted below the housing and is connectedto a drive mechanism or gearing within the housing. The connectionbetween the motor and the drive mechanism is such that when the roll ismoved away from the shoe the connection is broken. Thereafter thegearing is disengaged from the roll so that the roll may be freelyturned by hand when positioned away from the shoe. The connectionbetween the motor and the drive mechanism is preferably a belt which iscaused to become disengaged'from the motor by the movement of thehousing relative to the motor. There is also means provided to move themotor relative to the housing to effect disengagement of the belt sothat rotation of the roll may be stopped when the roll and shoe are incooperative relation. The roll and shoe thus may be used for pressing aswell as for ironing.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the supporting structureis essentially a table having a top 20, of wood, metal, or othersuitable material, supported by the legs 2|. These legs 2| can beconveniently formed of sheet metal stampings, or of any other desiredmaterial, and are preferably provided with rollers or casters 22 topermit the machine to be easily and readily moved. These rollers orcasters can be of any desired and approved form and type, mounted as maybe required, and various forms or types of stop means or mechanism, manyof which are Well known, can be employed to retain the supporting tablestructure in desired positions to which it has been moved. The table top23 is preferably and conveniently made of substantially elongatedrectangular form with its longest dimension extending from side to side,or crosswise, and above this table top are positioned the ironing roll23 and a generally arcuate shoe 24. The roll and shoe are mounted anddisposed to extend substantially longitudinally or crosswise of thetable with the shoe preferably disposed rearwardly of the roll.

To efiect relative movement between the roll and shoe to move them intoand out of cooperative relation, the preferred embodiment of theinvention has the roll movable toward and from the shoe. To this end,the roll is supported at one end by a housing 25 extending upwardthrough an aperture 25 in the table top adjacent one side edge thereof.The housing is somewhat arcuate in form and extends upwardly andrearwardly toward the shoe. The housing is supported at its lower end onbracket 21 pivoted on a horizontal axis under the table top. The bracket21 is preferably in the form of a plate having an elongated rear edgemounted on a pivot pin 28 of substantial length to give ample support.The pivot pin 28 is carried at its ends in widely spaced bearings 30secured to the underside of the table. The pivot pin 28 extends parallelto the roll axis and is located preferably directly below the contactingportions of the roll and shoe so that the roll at the time it moves intoengagement with the shoe is moving in a substantially horizontaldirection. With this construction, the swinging movement of the housingis upwardly through the aperture 26 in the table top while the rollmoves rearwardly into cooperative relation with the shoe.

One of the prominent features of the invention lies in the means foreffecting the relative movement between the roll and shoe. Said means isso constructed that by a simple swinging movement of the foot rearwardlyof the machine, the roll is brought into cooperative relation with theshoe and then adequate pressure therebetween is effected without greateffort upon the part of the operator. Preferably a treadle, comprising across bar 3| (see Figure l) suspended at its respective ends by a pairof arms 32, is utilized to receive the motion of the foot. The arms 32are carried at the ends of a rock shaft 33 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 8)journaled in bearings 34 secured to the underside of the table top 23.The rock shaft 33 extends crosswise of the table and thereby permits thecross bar 3| of the treadle to swing from front to rear of the table inmoving the roll toward the shoe. It will be understood that the treadlemechanism is only illustrative of manually actuatable means, and thatvarious other forms and types and construction of foot, knee, or othermanually actuatable operating or control means can be employed.

Connecting the treadle and the housing is a means which is soconstructed that, on moving the treadle rearwardly, the roll is quicklybrought into engagement with the shoe. The subsequent movement of thetreadle, which constitutes a large part of its total movement, isutilized to increase the pressure between the roll and shoe. Thus, arelatively large range of movement is employed to effect such pressure,and in consequence, very little effort on the part of the operator isrequired. While various types of means could be employed to accomplishthis result, in the present instance the means connecting the treadleand housing is a compound toggle, or a pair of interconnected toggles,one connected to the treadle and the other to the housing. Both of saidtoggles are so arranged that they move toward their straightenedposition at the same time so that the mechanical advantage gained by oneis multiplied by the mechanical advantage gained by the other. Thus, thepressure exerted by the operator is multiplied sufficiently to produce alarge pressure between the roll and the shoe without great effort on thepart of the operator.

As shown in the drawings (see Figs. 2, 3 and 8), the toggle connected tothe treadle comprises an arm 35 secured to the treadle rock shaft 33 formovement therewith and a link 35 pivotally attached at one end to thefree end of the arm 35. The other toggle, connected to the housing,comprises an arm 40 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9) pivotally attached tothe housing as by a pin 4| threaded into one wall of the housing, and anarm 42 pivotally connected to the arm 40 by a pivot pin 43. The arm 42is carried on one end of a horizontal rock shaft 44 journaled in atubular member 45 attached to the underside of the table top by clamps46. At the other end of the rock shaft 44 is secured a lever 41connected to the link 36 of the first toggle by a pivot pin 48.

By moving the treadle rearwardly, the arm 35 and the link 36 of thefirst toggle, and the two arms 40 and 42 of the second toggle tend tostraighten, thus moving the housing 25 upwardly and rearwardly andmoving the roll into engagement with the shoe. With this construction,if either one of the toggles were permitted to move slightly beyond itsstraightened position, the roll would remain in engagement with theshoe, even though the foot pressure on the treadle were not maintained.It is preferred, however, to limit the movement of the toggles in such amanner that neither of them will become fully straightened, or in otherwords that no part of the linkage or toggle mechanism shall pass a deadcenter or be otherwise capable of such movement as to be likely tobecome locked or jammed. It is thus necessary for the operator to keepher foot on the treadle, or to apply operating force to the manuallyactuatable means, only so long as she wishes to keep the roll inengagement with the shoe, and as soon as she removes her foot from thetreadle or withdraws or releases the manual actuating force, the weightof the roll and housing cause the roll to swing away from the shoe. Itis therefore apparent that, from the standpoint of safety, the roll andshoe may be immediately disengaged merely by the instinctive act on thepart of the operator of removing her foot from the treadle.

To limit the movement of the toggles the second toggle, comprising thearms 40 and 42, is constructed so that it cannot move to a straightenedposition. To this end, the arm 42 is bifurcated as at 50 (see Figs. 3,4, 7 and 9) to receive the arm 40 therein, and a screw is threaded intothe arm 42 to abut against an extension 52 on the lower end of the arm40. By adjusting the screw 5!, abutment thereof with the extension 52may limit the straightening movement of the second, which in turn limitsthe movement of the first toggle as well as the movement of the rolltoward the shoe.

Movement of the roll away from the shoe is limited, as by mounting aroller 53 (see Figs. 2 and 9) on the pivot pin 48, which connects thelever 41 and link 36, for abutment by the bracket 21 carrying thehousing. The roller 53 is preferably made of resilient material such asrubber to cushion the fall of the bracket 21 when the treadle isreleased.

The shoe 24 is supported so that the pressure thereon by the roll isheld fairly uniform and yet the shoe is resiliently supported so thatarticles varying in thickness may be properly accommodated. Preferablythe support for the shoe is resilient in character to yield to someextent when the roll is moved rearwardly by the toggles heretoforedescribed. In the preferred embodiment, the shoe support comprises anarm, indicated generally at 60 (see Fig. 8), having a first portion Blextending rearwardly under the table top from a pivot 62. The pivot 62is parallel to and closely adjacent the pivot 28, about which the rollswings, in order that the shoe and roll may swing in substantially thesame arcuate path. From the rear end of the first portion SI of the arm6!), a second portion 63 extends upwardly through an aperture 64 in thetable top to support the shoe at its upper end.

To resiliently hold the arm 60 against swinging movement a lug 65 isprovided on the rear end of the first portion GI, and through the lug 65extends a bolt 66. Surrounding the lower end of the bolt 66 is a coilspring 61 bearing at its upper end against the lug 65 and at its lowerend against a washer 68 secured in place by nuts 69 by which the springpressur may be adjusted. The bolt 66 extends upwardly through the tabletop and is adjustable relative thereto to adjust the position of theshoe without changing the pressure of the spring 61 whereby the shoe maybe adjusted to compensate for different thicknesses of packing of theroll padding. To this end, the bolt 66 is carried by a sleeve 10threaded into a plate 1| secured to the table top. A noncircular flange12 may be provided on the upper end of the sleeve 10 so that it may bereadily turned to adjust the bolt 66 up and down.

The shoe is supported on the upper end of the arm 6?} in a manner whichpermits the shoe to adjust itself to articles varying in thickness, andalso which permits the shoe to be moved to a position where the ironingsurface is fully exposed so that it may be conveniently waxed. For thispurpose, the shoe is attached to a U-shape clip 13 (see Figs. 8 and 10)which straddles a boss 14 on the upper end of the arm 68 and is pivotedthereon by means of a pin 15. The weight of the shoe tends to move itdownwardly, while a torsion spring 16 is provided to urge the shoeupwardly. Thus, the shoe may yield with a swinging movement upwardly ordownwardly to accommodate an article to be ironed varying in thicknessin the direction of its movement past the shoe.

To accommodate an article differing in thickness at the respective endsof the roll, the shoe is so supported that it may swing so that its endsare differently spaced from the roll. To this end, the middle portion ofthe U-shape clip 13 is arcuate in form, as shown at 11 in Fig. '10, andis attached to the shoe by a pair of vertically spaced rivets 18 (seeFig. 8). The respective ends of the shoe thus have a limited range ofmovement toward and from the roll due to the yieldability of the metal.

For waxing, the shoe may be swung upwardly about the pivot 15, when theroll is out of cooperative relation with the shoe, so that its ironingsurface faces upwardly. To support it in this position, a pin 19 extendsthrough the boss 14 and slightly beyond the opposite faces thereof toserve as an abutment for the arms of the U- shape clip 13 when it isswung rearwardly. When the shoe is swung to the position with theironing surface disposed upwardly and is supported by pin 19, the ironis conveniently disposed to give access thereto for use in steaming andin other operations.

The shoe is preferably heated by an electrical heating element embeddedin the shoe and controlled by a switch 81) (see Figure 1) mounted on thetable top 2.0 in a convenient location adjacent the housing 25.

In the operation of ironing, the roll is adapted to be rotated, and forthis purpose is carried on a shaft 8! (see Figure 1) extending outwardlyfrom and supported by the housing 25. To drive the shaft 8i, an electricmotor 82 is provided which drives the shaft through a drive mechanism orgearing, indicated generally at 83, located within the housing 25.

The construction of the gearing 83 and its connection with the motor 82and shaft 8| is such that rotation of the roll stops when it moves outof cooperative relation with the shoe and starts again when the roll andshoe are moved into cooperative relation. Preferably both the connectionbetween the motor and the gearing and the connection between the gearingand the shaft 8| are rendered ineffective when the roll and shoe areseparated, the former connection first and thereafter the latterconnection, in order to avoid having to disconnect the gearing from theshaft under load and to completely free the roll so that it may bereadily turned by hand, without the gearing, when the roll and shoe areseparated.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection between themotor and gearing is by means of a belt 84 (see Figs. 3 and 4) theconnection being rendered ineffective by effecting relative movementbetween the motor and gearing to loosen the belt. The belt 84 connects apulley 85 on the motor and a pulley 86 carried on a shaft 81constituting part of the gearing and journaled in the housing 25. Toloosen the belt, the motor is so supported that movement of the housing25, in moving the roll toward and from the shoe, effects the relativemovement between the two pulleys 85 and 88.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the motor is supported at its frontby a pair of links 90 suspended from a relatively fixed pivot 9|, a pin92 connecting the links 99 to the motor. The rear end of the motor iscarried on a pin 93 supported by a pair of brackets 94 secured to theunderside of the housing-supporting bracket 21. The pin 95 is locatedsubstantially directly below the pivot 23 about which the housing 25 andits bracket 21 swings. Thus, the movement of the motor and its pulley85, when the roll is moved toward the shoe is substantially forwardly.The direction of movement of the pulley 86 carried by the housing is,however, chiefly upwardly so that the distance between the two pulleys85 and 86 is changed when the roll is moved toward or away from theshoe, thereby tightening or loosening the belt. Thus, the gearing willbe driven by the motor when the roll is in cooperative relation with theshoe, and the connection therebetween will be rendered ineffective whenthe roll is moved away from the shoe.

The belt 84 is preferably a V-type. But with this type of belt, there isa tendency when the belt is loosened to assume a circular form, thuscausing the belt to tend to remain in contact with both pulleys. Thistendency is so great that some power would be transmitted by the belt,even though it were loose. There would also be some tendency, because ofthe looseness of the belt, for it to run oil the lower or motor pulley.

For these reasons, the invention includes means for holding the beltsubstantially at its normal position, when the roll is separated fromthe shoe, said means insuring disengagement of the belt from the motorpulley 85 and reengagement therewith when the roll is moved toward theshoe. As shown herein, said means comprises a pair of guide pins 95 (seeFig. 3) flanged on their outer ends and located on opposite sides of andadjacent the motor pulley 85. The pins 95 are movable with the housing25 and for this purpose are carried by a plate 99 secured to the housingsupporting bracket 2! and extending downwardly. The lower end of theplate 95 is notched as at 97 to fit around the motor pulley with thepins 95 mounted on the plate at oppo site sides of the pulley.

The plate 96 and the motor have substantially the same horizontalmovement, since the plate 95 and the motor, by its brackets 94, arecarried by the housing-supporting bracket 21. The plate 95 also has asubstantial upward movement since the plate is horizontally spaced fromthe pivot 28 for the housing-supporting bracket 27. The motor, however,has practically no vertical movement because of its mode of support. Theguide pins 95 therefore move up relative to the motor pulley 95 when thebelt is tightened, causing the motor pulley to engage the belt. When thehousing 25 swings down, the pins 95 move with it, preventing the beltfrom assuming a circular form and causing the belt to remainsubstantially in its normal state, thereby loosening it from the motorpulley 85. The pins 95 thus prevent the belt from being driven by themotor pulley when the roll is separated from the shoe and also hold thebelt in proper position for reengagement by the pulley.

As a further means to prevent the belt from assuming a circular formwhen the roll and shoe are out of cooperative relation, a cover I28 isprovided for the belt and pulley 85, which is so shaped as to fit fairlyclosely around the pulley 86. The cover I28 thus prevents that portionof the belt adjacent the pulley 95 from spreading outwardly to assume acircular form, and by this arrangement the belt is prevented frombecoming displaced from pulley 88.

The gearing 83 is arranged to reduce the speed of the roll shaft 8| tothat suitable for the roll. Preferably the gearing comprises a pinion I(see Figs, 3 and 4) carried on the pulley shaft 81 and meshing with aspur gear I 9|. Rotating with the spur gear I 9! is a pinion I02 meshingwith a spur gear I93 mounted on the end of the roll shaft 8| within thehousing 25. In order to insure proper lubrication of the gearing, thehousing 25 may have an intermediate transverse wall I94 providing achamber for the gearing in which oil may be placed.

When the roll is separated from the shoe, it is desirable to be able torotate the roll by hand. If the drive for the roll were renderedineffective solely by loosening the belt, it would be necessary inturning the roll by hand to also turn the gearing. In the preferredconstruction, this is rendered unnecessary by disengaging the gearingfrom the roll shaft. To this end, the spur gear I9I and its coaxialpinion I92 are axially shiftable so that the pinion I92 may be movedinto and out of mesh with the spur gear I93 on the roll shaft.

To accomplish such meshing and unmeshing, means is provided which isactuated upon movement of the housing and which is so timed thatunmeshing takes place following the loosening of the belt to avoidunmeshing under load. The means herein shown comprises a shifter leverI95 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The lever I05 is generally substantiallyU-shape with its intermediate portion in a vertical position andjournaled in hearings in the transverse wall I34 of the housing and atransverse ledge I139. The upper arm of the lever I95 extends adjacentthe axis of the spur gear HM and has its end bent upwardly to enter agroove I9! in a collar I98 rigid with the spur gear IOI and its pinion I92. Thus, by swinging the lever I95, the pinion I92 will be moved intoand out of mesh with the roll shaft gear I03.

In order to swing the lever automatically on moving the roll toward andfrom the shoe, the lower arm of the lever extends adjacent the pivot pin43 connecting the two arms 40 and 42 of the second toggle, as shown inFigs. 3, 4 and 7. The

pin 43 is provided with a rounded head III] in engagement with the leverI05 and serving as a cam to swing the lever to unmesh the pinion I02.The lower arm of the lever I05 is bent into an arc, as shown in Fig. 3,to follow the path of the head I I and is also bent, as shown in Fig. 7,to effect disengagement of the pinion I02 and gear I03 at the desiredtime. The pinion I02 and spur gear I03 are thus positively unmeshed. Thelever I05 is held in engagement with head III) of the pin 43 preferablyby yieldable means so that, on moving the pinion I02 into mesh it maydelay slightly in case the teeth of the pinion and spur gear are notalined. To this end, a coil spring III is secured at one end to thehousing 25 and at its other end to the end of the lever I05 to yieldablyhold the lever in contact with the pin head I I0. Thus, when the secondtoggle is moved away from its straightened position to separate the rollfrom the shoe, the pinion I02 is positively unmeshed from the gear I03,and when the roll is moved toward the shoe, the spring I I I yieldablyurges the pinion I02 into mesh.

In order that the lever I05 may be readily assembled in the housing 25,and in order that the two arms of the lever may have the proper angularrelation to each other and be properly spaced, the lever may beconveniently made in two parts which are inserted in a connecting sleeveH2 and secured in proper relation by set screws. The sleeve II2 alsoserves to properly position the lever vertically by providing a shoulderto rest on the ledge I06 in the housing.

In the ordinary domestic use of the machine herein disclosed, it isdesirable to be able to use the machine for pressing as distinguishedfrom ironing. That is, it is desirable to be able to utilize the roll asa non-rotating member for pressing articles against the shoe instead ofrotating the roll to move articles past the shoe. It is also desirableat times to be able to stop rotation of the roll during ironing topermit the heat of the shoe to dry out an article. To accomplish this,the drive for the roll, which normally becomes effective when the rolland shoe are moved into cooperative relation, is interrupted by meanswhich preferably is independent of the toggles.

In one suitable form, as shown herein, said means is operable to loosenthe belt 84 from the motor pulley 85 and thereby interrupt the drive ofthe roll. To this end, the pivot ill (see Figs. 3 and 5) which carriesthe pair of links 90 supporting the front end of the motor 82 isshiitable vertically to raise the motor, thereby disengaging the motorpulley 85 from the belt. For this purpose, the pivot III is carried bythe rear end of a pair of spaced levers II3 pivoted intermediate theirends on a fixed pin I I5 supported by a pair of spaced brackets II4attached to the underside of the table top adjacent the front edge.Connecting the front ends of the levers I I3 is a pivot pin III; havingan enlarged intermediate portion Ill. The latter has a transverseaperture to receive a push rod H8. The push rod II8 extends upwardlythrough an aperture I20 in the table top and is provided with a knob I2Iat its upper end. By depressing the knob I2I, the levers II3 lift thefront end of the motor.

When this means is released the weight of the motor tends to lower it tocause the motor pulley 85 to reengage the belt. To limit the downwardmovement of the motor, the push rod II8 has a shoulder II9 adapted toabut upwardly against a plate I22 secured to the top of the table andapertured to receive the push rod H8. In order to keep the roll fromrotating without making it necessary for the operator to keep her handon the knob I2I, the push rod I I8 may be maintained in its loweredposition by inserting a reduced portion I23 thereon in an offset notchI24 opening into the aperture in the plate I22 through which the pushrod extends. The reduced portion I23 of the push rod thus may be engagedin the notch I24 to hold the push rod down and thereby keep the rollfrom rotating.

Since the motor tends by gravity to move downwardly, the weight of themotor thereby creates the tension on the belt when in engagement withthe motor pulley. This tension may, however, be adjusted by varying theposition of the push rod I I8 relative to the lever H3 so that theshoulder IIQ on the push rod will abut against the plate I22 before thefull weight of the motor is placed on the belt. To this end, the pushrod H8 is threaded as at I25 into the enlarged portion III of the pinIIB connecting the push rod to the levers I I3, and thus provides anadjustment.

In order to cushion any vibration due to the motor, the pivot pins 9|,92, 93 and HE are all provided with rubber bushings at their points ofattachment to other members. The motor is preferably protected by acasing I23 attached to the underside of the table top and by a plateIZ'I at the end of the table between the two legs 2 I. Access to thegearing 83 within the housing may be had by removing a cover plate I29,held in place by screws or any other suitable fastenings.

In the operation of the present embodiment of the machine, the operatorsits in front of the machine so that, by a simple swinging movement ofher foot, the treadle may be pushed rearwardiy. Such movement of thetreadle causes the toggles to swing the housing 25 about its pivot 28and to move the roll into engagement with the shoe. The toggles are soconstructed that the roll moves quickly into cooperative relation withthe shoe, utilizing only a fractional part of the range of movement ofthe treadle for this purpose. Thus, the remainder of the range ofmovement of the treadle is available for creating pressure between theroll and shoe. During this latter part of the treadle movement, thespring 61 hearing against the shoe-supporting arm 60 resists movement ofthe roll but permits the shoe to yield.

Normally, the weight of the housing 25 and the roll tend to swing theroll away from the shoe. This feature is utilized in the presentinstance to effect automatic separation of the roll and shoe when theoperator removes her foot from the treadle. The machine is thus safe tooperate, since the roll cannot inadvertently be left in contact with theshoe, should the operator leave the machine for any reason. The togglesare prevented from moving to a completely straightened or other lockedor wedged position by the screw 5| in the arm 42 of the second toggle sothey will never become locked to prevent the weight of the housing androll from so acting.

Simultaneously with the movement of the roll toward the shoe, the motorpulley is so moved relative to the pulley 86 that the belt 84 engagesthe motor pulley 85 and thereby causes the gearing 83 to be driven. Thepivot pin 43 connecting the two arms 40 and 42 of the second togglesalso moves at that time in such a manner as to permit the spring Hi toswing the lever I65 to throw the pinion I02 into mesh with the gear I03on the roll shaft 8! If at the moment the pinion [E32 strikes the faceof the gear 483, the gear and pinion are not properly alined to mesh,the spring I I permits delay, and since the pinion is turning, it willquickly move to a position where it may mesh.

When the operator removes her foot from the treadle, the weight of thehousing 25 and the roll causes the housing to swing downwardly to loosenthe belt from the motor pulley 85, while the movement of the housingcauses the arms 4 and 42 of the second toggle to move away from thestraightened position. The head H9 of the pin 43 connecting the two arms4i) and 42 thereby moves to the right, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, andpositively swings the lever I65 to unmesh the pinion Hi2 from the rollshaft gear i3. Such unmeshing is timed to take place subsequent to theloosening of the belt from the motor pulley. Thus, the unmeshing of thegears takes place after the load is released from them so that theaction requires little effort, and when the gears are unmeshed, the rollmay be freely turned by hand.

When the belt is loosened from the motor pulley 85, the guide pins 95and cover I28 maintain the belt in substantially its normal position sothat its tendency to assume a circular form will not cause it to contactand be driven by the motor pulley. The pins 95 also hold the belt inproper position for reenegagement by the motor pulley.

To utilize the roll and shoe for pressing, as distinguished fromironing, or in order to temporarily hold an especially damp articleagainst the heated shoe to dry it, the operator depresses the knob [2|on the push rod HB and causes the reduced portion I23 to enter the notchI24 in the plate 122 to lock the push rod in depressed position.Depression of the push rod swings the levers H3 and liitsthe front endof the motor, thereby disengaging the motor pulley 85 from the belt. Theroll thereupon ceases to rotate. The position of the front end of themotor may be adjusted by threading the push rod up or down in theenlarged portion ill of the pin H6 connecting the levers H3, therebyadjusting the tension on the belt.

When an article varies in thickness in its direction of movement betweenthe roll and shoe, the shoe may swing up or down on the pivot pin 75 atthe upper end of the shoe supporting arm 69, so that the shoe may remainin contact with all parts of the article. Articles differing inthickness at the respective ends of the roll may also be accommodated,since the shoe is attached to its clip ?3 in a manner permitting theshoe to swing to a limited extent in a horizontal plane. For Waxing, theshoe may be swung upwardly about the pivot until the clip 13 restsagainst the pin 19 in the upper end of the arm 6i).

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided anovel ironing machine which may easily be operated, since relativemovement between the roll and shoe is effected merely by a swingingmovement of the operators foot. The toggles are so constructed thatadequate pressure between the roll and shoe is obtainable with butlittle effort on the part of the operator, since the roll is broughtinto contact with the shoe in the initial part of the foot movement,leaving a large part of such movement for creating progressive pressure.The roll 23, housing 25 and gearing 83 all move as a unit therebyaeirsco simplifying the construction and utilizing such movement todisconnect the motor from the roll. The construction utilizes gravity tomove the roll away from the shoe, so that the roll and shoe cannotunintentionally be left in contact, and when the roll is so moved, it isfree to be turned by hand. The shoe automatically adjusts itself to anyvariations in the thickness of the article being ironed, and is readilymovable to a convenient position for waxing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a machine ofsimple and inexpensive construction which is readily adaptable for usein ironing, pressing, steaming and other operations, which has the partsthereof so constructed and mounted and associated that all functions andoperations are under the immediate control of the operator, and yet anautomatic release and return is provided to positively insure againstthe roll being inadvertently left in contact with the shoe or theoperating means being left in driving connection, and that the machinecan be operated with a minimum use or consumption of electric currentand with a minimum of physical effort to accomplish the control.

While I have herein disclosed only certain specific embodiments of myinvention and have shown and described only certain possiblecombinations and arrangements of the parts, it will be appreciated thatmany changes and variations can be made in the form, construction,arrangement, assembly and association of the parts and in the manner ofoperating and controlling the same, as may be required, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable roll, ashoe, means for moving said roll into and out of operative engagementwith the shoe, a motor, a gear train operatively connected to the roll,a belt connecting the motor and gear train and adapted to be loosened todisconnect the motor and gear train upon movement of the parts indisengaging said roll, and means actuated by movement of said parts fordisconnecting said gear train from said roll after the belt is loosened.

2. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable roll, ashoe, a housing supporting said roll and swingable to move the roll intoand out of operative. engagement with the shoe, means for swinging saidhousing, a gear train within the housing connected to the roll, a motormounted to effect movement relative to the gear train upon movement ofthe housing, a belt connecting said motor and gear train and adapted tobe loosened by movementof the housing to disengage the roll from theshoe, and a device actuated by said means for disconnecting said geartrain from the roll when the belt is loosened.

3. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a roll, a shoe, aswingable housing, a shaft extending from said housing for driving saidroll, a gear mounted on said shaft within said housing, drive mechanismWithin said housing including a pinion shiftable into and out of meshwith said gear, means for swinging said housing including a togglelocated within the housing, said toggle comprising a pair of armsconnected by a pivot pin, a U-shaped lever pivotally supported at itsintermediate portion within the housing and having one arm for shiftingthe pinion and the other arm extending ad- 'acent the pivot pin of thetoggle, and a spring for holding the last mentioned arm in contact withthe pivot pin whereby movement of the toggle actuates the lever.

4. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a shoe, a rotatableroll, a housing supporting said roll, means for moving said housing tomove the roll into and out of operative relation to said shoe, drivemechanism within the housing for rotating said roll, a motor having apulley, a bracket carried by said housing and having a pair of armsextending on opposite sides of the motor pulley, a pair of pins on therespective arms, a belt connecting the motor pulley and the drivemechanism and confined against lateral movement by said pins, said beltbeing adapted to be tightened and loosened as the roll is moved into andout of cooperative relation to the shoe, a bracket carried by thehousing for supporting the motor at one point, and relatively fixedmeans for supporting the motor at another point whereby upon movement ofthe housing the motor moves laterally of the belt with said pins but isheld against movement longitudinally of the belt, said pins therebyholding the belt out of driving relation to the motor pulley when theroll is out of operative relation to the shoe.

5. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a table, a roll and ashoe positioned above the table and extending crosswise thereof with theshoe at the rear, a housing supporting the roll at one end thereof,means pivotally supporting said housing on a horizontal axis locatedunder the table for movement of the roll toward the shoe, an arm havinga first portion swingably pivoted on an axis closely adjacent andparallel to the pivotal axis of the housing and extending rearwardly anda second portion extending upwardly from the rear end of the firstportion and supporting the shoe at its upper end, and adjustableresilient means coacting with the rear end of the first portion andresiliently opposing swinging movement of the arm.

6. An ironing machine comprising a supporting table structure,cooperating ironing portions above said table structure comprising ashoe member and a roll member, means pivoted beneath said table mountingsaid roll member swingably upon the supporting structure for bodilymovement into and out of contact with said shoe member, operatoractuatable means for moving said roll member into and out of contactingposition, and resilient means urging said shoe member into yieldablecontacting position.

'7. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a pair of cooperativeroll and shoe ironing elements, said roll being relatively movable intoand out of operative position with respect to said shoe, a wingablymounted structure supporting said movable roll, a toggle structureconnected to said swingable structure, a second toggle structureconnected with aid first toggle structure, and a manually actuatabletreadle connected to said second toggle for effecting relative movementof said toggles whereby short travel of the treadle will accomplishinitially great movement of the swingably mounted structure supportingthe movable ironing element toward the ironing position for said elementand then long travel of the treadle will accomplish short travel of themovable element and consequent increase of moving force as the elementsare brought into ironing position.

8. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a supporting structure,an ironing shoe carried by said supporting structure, an ironing roll, ahousing swingably mounted on said supporting structure and by whichhousing said ironing roll is rotatably mounted in relation to be movedinto and out of contact with the ironing shoe, a motor carried by saidsupporting structure, and belt drive means from said motor to saidironing roll the belt and housing being so constructed and arranged thatswinging of the said housing tightens the said belt to cause rotation ofthe roll when the roll is in contact with the shoe and loosens the saidbelt to cause slippage of the belt and thereby disconnection of thedrive to the roll when said roll is in the inoperative position.

9. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a supporting structure,an ironing shoe mounted on said supporting tructure, an ironing roll, ahousing swingably mounted on said supporting structure and rotatablycarrying said ironing roll in position to be carried into and out ofoperative position with respect to the ironing shoe as the housing isswung, power means carried by the supporting means, power transmissionmeans for said roll in said housing, means to swing said housing andconsequently move the roll into and out of operative positions withrespect to the ironing shoe, and means in the housing automaticallyconnecting and disconnecting the drive to the roll as said roll is movedinto and out of operative positions.

10. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a supportingstructure, an ironing shoe mounted on said supporting structure, anironing roll, a housing swingably mounted on said supporting structureand rotatably carrying said ironing roll in position to be carried intoand out of operative position with respect to the ironing shoe as thehousing is swung power means carried by the supporting means, powertransmission means for said roll in said housing, means to swing saidhousing and consequently move the roll into and out of operativepositions with respect to the ironing shoe, means in the housingautomatically connecting and disconnecting the drive to the roll as saidroll is moved into and out of operative position, and a belt in thepower connection from the power means to the roll driving meanstightened by movement of the roll into the operative position andloosened to slip by movement of the roll away from the ironing shoe.

11. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a supportingstructure, an ironing shoe mounted on said supporting structure, anironing roll, a housing swingably mounted on said supporting structureand rotatably carrying said ironing roll in position to be carried intoand out of operative position with respect to the ironing shoe as thehousing is swung, power means carried by the supporting means, powertransmission means for said roll in said housing, means to swing saidhousing and consequently move the roll into and out of operativeposition with respect to the ironing shoe, means in the housingautomatically connecting and disconnecting the drive to the roll as saidroll is moved into and out of operative position, a belt in the powerconnection from the power means to the roll driving means tightened bymovement of the roll into the operative position and loosened bymovement of the roll away from the ironing shoe, and manually actuablemeans for moving said power means to loosen said belt.

12. An ironing machine comprising in combination, a supportingstructure, an ironing shoe carried by said supporting tructure, ahousing swingably mounted on said supporting structure, an ironing rollrotatably carried by said housing and moved into and out of operativeposition with respect to the. shoe by swinging of said housing, manuallyactuatable means to swing said housing, power mean carried by thesupporting structure, gear transmission means for said roll in 0

